Leicestershire sniff out the winning habit

Leicestershire 35 for 0 trail Surrey 261 (Sibley 74, Curran 60, Raine 3-33) by 226 runs
Scorecard

A burst of five wickets for 17 runs in just 30 balls shortly after lunch ensured the balance of play favoured Leicestershire at the end of the first day's play of their Division Two against Surrey at Grace Road, dramatically raising their hopes that after winning their first Championship match for 992 days last week, they might add another within a week.

Zafar Ansari and Rory Burns put together an impressive opening partnership after the visitors had been inserted on a well-grassed pitch, before both fell with the score on 82.

Left-arm seamer Rob Taylor, in the Foxes' side at the expense of Tom Wells, had Burns leg before on the back foot, and in the following over, Ansari padded up to an inswinging delivery from Charlie Shreck that would have knocked out his off-stump.

Kumar Sangakkara and Dominic Sibley took the score on to 122 before Sangakkara, who had played and missed several times at Taylor's outswingers, edged an attempted drive at Clint McKay and was well held by Andrea Agathangelou at second slip for 21.

The Sri Lankan's dismissal was the first of a clatter of wickets. Steve Davies, in outstanding form with the bat this season, was trapped on the crease by a Ben Raine inswinger and went leg before without scoring.

Ben Foakes was unlucky to play an authentic leg glance only for Leicestershire wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien to take a fine catch diving away to his left, but Gary Wilson had already been perilously close to going leg before to McKay when he was pinned in front by a ball that seamed back in.

James Burke, making his debut for Surrey, edged a Charlie Shreck outswinger to O'Brien without scoring, and at 139 for 7 the visitors were in some disarray.

Sibley was batting solidly, however, and he was joined by Tom Curran in building a partnership of 82 for the eighth wicket. Curran, attacking, and at times riding his luck, went to a maiden first class half-century by launching off-spinner Jigar Naik high over long-on, but then edged an attempted reverse sweep to be caught behind for 60.

Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove threw the ball to Agathangelou, and with his first delivery for his new county since being signed, the occasional legspinner spun the ball past the edge of Chris Tremelett's bat to hit the off-stump.

The innings, and Sibley's long vigil - his 74 came off 154 balls - ended when the right-handed batsman edged Raine down the leg side to give O'Brien his fourth catch of the innings.

Leicestershire openers Angus Robson and Matt Boyce then saw off eight overs before the close, to leave Leicestershire, who won their first county championship match in 38 attempts when they beat Essex last week, well satisfied with their day's work.